Chelsea set for £20m transfer windfall from ‘top player’ to fund Mauricio Pochettinos ‘request’

Chelsea could be set to make land a transfer windfall amid links with AS Roma star Paulo Dybala.

The Blues are expected to be busier than most this summer as Mauricio Pochettino looks to level out his new squad after inheriting a huge group. Pochettino is going to have to prioritise exits this summer before he can look to put his own stamp on the squad with new signings, and he has already made headway.

The likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Cesar Azpilicueta have already moved on, and Romelu Lukaku and others may well follow.

Another player who looks likely to depart is winger Christian Pulisic, who burst onto the scene at Stamford Bridge before ultimately fading out. The American has seen opportunities reduced significantly over the last couple of years, and that’s despite pundit Paul Merson once dubbing him a ‘top player’.

He said in 2019: “I like Pulisic, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win against Burnley, and I’ve always been a big fan of his. I think he’s a top player, but he’s only a kid. He’s 21 and you’re not going to hit your best football until you’re 27 or 28, I wouldn’t have thought.”

Chelsea are not going to wait that long, though, with Pulisic now likely to be sold at the age of 24. Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan look set to land him, reportedly set to make a fresh £17million bid on Friday as talks reach a conclusion between the two clubs. Fabrizio Romano reports discussions are now nearing an end between the European giants.

In totality, it’s a big loss for Chelsea, who paid around £58million to sign Pulisic 2018, but at this point, much of that is sunk cost, and the Blues will see it as a windfall as they look to sharpen their squad this summer. The move also comes amid reports from Corriere dello Sport report Pochettino has told Chelsea chiefs that he wants to sign Roma star Dybala this summer.

Reports have claimed Dybala could be available for an ultra-cheap £10.3million due to a release clause despite scoring 12 goals in 25 league games so far for Roma. Chelsea could take advantage, especially after being armed with fresh cash on the back of this summer’s sales.